Obie Trice: Real Name No Gimmicks

Obie Trice is the only rapper worth listening to in Eminem’s camp ever since 50 Cent turned into the very thing that he grew an audience dissing, Ja-Rule. But in a bit of Murphy’s Law, Obie got little cross-over success even with the infectious and humorous Got Some Teeth off his first album Cheers. But a lot has happened in the three years since that album dropped first and foremost was when Obie was shot in the head while driving around his native Detroit last year and then his running buddy at Shady Records, Proof was also shot, but this time was fatal. These two events made Obie’s sophomore effort Second Round’s on Me a more morbid album.

The production, mostly by Eminem and Obie himself, echoes the darker direction of the album. The beats are more sparse and grittier than their predecessors. But a few of the beats get too fast for Obie and just can’t keep up like on Lay Down or Out of State which sounds like a leftover beat from a nineties OutKast album. Obie is at his best when he has beats that bring out his laid back delivery. Aside from the darker themes, Obie even took a different approach to recording this time around as instead of writing his lyrics down he flowed freestyle much of the album and makes his already distinct voice even more distinctive.

As for the actual song, Obie slips into many rap clichés. The most annoying of which is the anti-snitching sentiment behind Snitch although Akon’s chorus does make the song almost interesting. Then he raps about the worst waste of money ever rims on 24’s. Someone really needs to sit these rappers down and have them listen to Chris Rock explain the difference between being rich and being wealthy. And when he avoids the typical rap clichés, the rest of the album is typically mediocre.

Aside from Akon, the first half of the album is basically just Obie, but second half of the album is jam packed with other guest appearances. Brick & Lace, who are quickly becoming the go to hook singers when a rapper can’t get a name R&B singer, bring down Jamaican Girl. The always reliable Nate Dogg helps out on All of My Life. Trey Songz has hook duty on two songs one of which (Ghetto) is much better than the other (Mama). And Obie brings out the heavyweights with Eminem, along with Big Herk, on the Detroit anthem There They Go while 50 Cent, who much like his last two albums sounds bored on Everywhere I Go. Speaking of rap clichés, Obie even samples Scareface, the movie not the dude from the Geto Boys, on Kill Me a Mutha, and that is just way too many clichés for one album.

Song to Download - Cry Now

Second Round’s on Me get a on my Terror Alert Scale.